Monthly Archives: April 2014

By 1906, daylight mixed bathing had been legalised in New South Wales, so Sydney Ferries Ltd decided to build an ocean swimming baths at their newly acquired Clifton Gardens pleasure grounds. The baths were designed by Sydney architect Rutledge Louat. Opened in December 1906 for the North Sydney Swimming Club’s annual carnival, the structure was of a unique circular design, covering an area of 30,000 square feet. A 12 feet wide promenade encircled the pool, with a boardwalk and racing platforms on a lower level for bathers. A large two storey attached bathing pavilion provided space for 200 dressing rooms, a grandstand to seat 3000 spectators, refreshment rooms and other conveniences. A diving tower rising 50 feet above high-water mark had separate platforms at 10 foot intervals, and other entertainments such as marble chutes, revolving casks, giant strides etc were provided. The swimming baths and picnic grounds were extremely popular with the public, being easily accessible by ferry from Circular Quay. Company and charity picnics also brought large crowds.

In July 1933 Sydney Ferries Ltd applied to Mosman Council to make improvements to facilities at Clifton Gardens, including the swimming pool. As a result, by 1934 the pool had been considerably enlarged by opening one side of the circular structure, thus combining the baths and the adjacent wire protected beach bathing enclosure to form one continuous swimming area. This was now over 300 feet in length by 200 feet wide, equipped with springboards and pontoons and surrounded by a promenade, together with a fine sandy beach.

During the 1940s the area became less popular due to competition from the ocean beaches, now more easily accessible by cars and public transport. By 1949 the Clifton Gardens baths were owned by the Maritime Services Board, and leased back to Sydney Ferries Ltd until 1952. Portions of the upper floor of the bathing pavilion were used as staff quarters for the nearby hotel, or leased as residential flats. By the 1950s the structure was in poor condition, and in October 1956 Mosman Council invited tenders for the demolition of the two-storey weatherboard bathing pavilion, the dressing sheds and accommodation, and the remaining semi-circular portion of the adjoining swimming baths. However, days before tenders closed, these buildings were destroyed by fire, leaving only the pile foundations in the water. Following removal of the remains, Mosman Council approved, in December 1957, the construction of a fully shark proof swimming enclosure which was completed in January 1958 at a cost of 3,500 Pounds. Apart from some repairs, realignment and a new jetty, the enclosure remains much the same today.

The prominent Sydney architect Bertrand James Waterhouse designed the house in 1935. It was built during the same year on what was previously a bush block.

The first owner was Malcolm MacKinnon, the Principal of Sydney Technical High School, who lived in the house with his wife. David Maxwell (known as Max) Carment, a chartered accountant and company director, purchased it for 10500 Pounds in 1951. He lived there with his family until selling it in 1973 to a Mr Gordon, who also used it as a family home. There were other owners until the house was demolished to make way for a new residence in 2007. It appeared to be in good condition at the time of its demolition. Demolition also involved almost complete destruction of the garden and levelling of most of the site.

The house was a split level brick bungalow on the side of a steep hill sloping towards Taylors Bay. It originally had 16 rooms of greatly varying sizes, three fireplaces, a bush house, terraced garden beds and sweeping harbour views. There were more than 50 steps from the house to the road. The Carments added a garage, insect screens on all windows to deal with the huge numbers of mosquitoes that bred in the nearby bush, three more rooms in what were originally the downstairs workshop and storage areas, a front deck, a swimming pool, and an inclinator lift from near the house to the garage. Flat stone terraces replaced the back and front lawns. Later owners changed the configuration of some rooms.

In 1951 there was a house next door at 24 Iluka Road. There were five vacant bush blocks between 26 Iluka Road and its next door neighbour on the other side. All these blocks were built on during the 1950s and 1960s. By 2014 many of Iluka Road’s original residences had been demolished and replaced. Their new, usually smaller, gardens were dominated by hedges and lawns with far fewer flowers than the old gardens.